The Cured : Nightmare Row
by megan.daisy.9
Summary: Libby Mason, a 17 year-old teenager on the autistic spectrum, has been living in Harran with her parents and despite the bullying she faces at college, life has been fairly normal. But when an unknown pathogen breaks out and the city becomes quarantined as a result, she finds herself completely alone ... only for hope to surface when she joins a group of survivors...
1. Episode 1 - Chapter 1: Prologue

**Author's Note:**

**Hi everyone, and welcome to a little story I'm conjuring up called 'Nightmare Row'. There's not really a lot to say this time, other than that this will serve as a prequel to The Cured - so you'll get to see the Outbreak and the two months before Kyle arrives through Libby, who is the main protagonist of the series. It is also based on the novel 'Dying Light: Nightmare Row' and some of its' characters will be featured here. :)**

**A quick FYI as well; this story, like the series, will be tackling real-life issues such as sexual assault, substance abuse, suicide, child trafficking, bullying and more. The reason for this is because it will hopefully serve as a wake-up call to people that you can't ignore them and I also hope that it will help begin conversations. But if any of you are struggling with these issues yourselves, then this story may not be the best to read. :( If you ever need someone to talk to, reach out to a parent, friend or adult who you trust because the second you do so, things will become easier. :)**

**Feel free to leave your thoughts in a review and I hope you all enjoy. :)**

**Libby's Appearance (Winter): megandaisy9/art/Libby-Mason-OC-Dying-Light-Pre-Post-Outbreak-818703646**

**Libby's Appearance (Spring): megandaisy9/art/Libby-Mason-OC-Dying-Light-747244291**

**Melanie's Appearance (Winter): megandaisy9/art/Melanie-Wyatt-The-Cured-Nightmare-Row-827944540**

**Melanie's Appearance (Spring): megandaisy9/art/Melanie-Wyatt-The-Cured-Part-I-827945056**

**Plot Summary:**

**Libby, a 17 year-old teenager on the autistic spectrum, has been living in Harran with her parents and despite the bullying she faces at college, life has been fairly normal. But when an unknown pathogen breaks out and the city becomes quarantined as a result, she finds herself completely alone ... only for hope to surface when she joins a group of survivors...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic, Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, Wonder Woman, 13 Reasons Why, Grand Theft Auto V, Hunger Games, Jaws, Dying Light, Walking Dead or The Cured. All rights go to the original owners. All of the characters and events in this story are fictitious. Other references to real life places, events and individuals, living or dead, are purely coincidental.**

* * *

**Episode 1 - Chapter 1: Prologue**

_Cherish the children who march to the beat of their own music. They play the most beautiful heartsongs..._

_~ Fiona Goldsworthy._

_..._

Hello friend. _Hello friend_, that... that doesn't feel right. Do you want a different name? That's a slippery slope though, because we have to remember that we both initially thought we were in each others' heads before we began talking and quite frankly, I prefer the name you've got. _B*gger_, I can't believe I'm about to tell you my story...!

I never really told you much about myself, did I? Well to start with, people saw me as your average geeky nerd who was born and raised in England. But I'm actually not, because I'm on the autistic spectrum and I suffer from two conditions; hearing loss and social anxiety. This affects how I function in everyday life, such as socialising and building a connection with people. Sure, some of the kids in school gave me a chance and I gladly took every one. But...they didn't work out, they never did and that's made my anxiety worse over the years.

_Well, at least I had my parents by my side to help me cope … that is, until the Outbreak. My younger brother and two sisters are family members too, though they would appear in spirit because ... they passed away before we got to know them._

On a different note, everyone has media productions, topics and people that they are interested in; favourite movie, television show or cute band, you get the idea. My interests were similar, but they were _a lot _different than the stereotypical teenager's interests. Since I was 9 years old, I've been a huge fan of Sonic the Hedgehog. I've played the games I was able to get my hands on, I watched some of the television shows and I bought the merchandise that I could. My bedroom's walls were covered in video game posters and my childhood plush toys of the characters helped me calm down whenever I had an anxiety attack because of bullying. I also have a little lapis ring which was a gift on my 12th birthday and that helped soothe my anxiety too...

_I had no idea what happened to them after everything went haywire._

That doesn't really matter so much now, because I initially believed there was no way back to Old Town. That's where the virus first popped out of the blue, and … and there were _so much _chaos when it happened! The infected ripping citizens apart, the bloody sights and families getting separated - some thankfully being evacuated to the United States and others unfortunately being left behind to get imprisoned by a Quarantine Wall!

_And like most children separated from their families, I too was separated from mine..._

So, feel free to grab a snack and settle in - because I'm about to tell you the story of what happened before and after the Harran Virus spread. I was just four months shy of my 18th birthday and working at college like I normally would.

_But I had no idea what was around the corner..._

...

**Old Town, 2017.**

**Winter.**

Before the Outbreak, foreigners would consider Harran as a beautiful yet diverse city in the Middle East. There was a supposed New Town being constructed across the Infamy Bridge from the city's major attraction - which was Old Town, or rather Sector 0. I still remember when my parents and I moved there back in 2013 and I couldn't help but notice _quite_ the similarity between that and Themiscyra. I'll tell you, it felt awesome to live in a place which bore a strong resemblance to Wonder Woman's childhood home!

_But those are memories now. And sometimes, it was nice to look back on them whenever stressful situations became too much to handle._

My bedroom door creaked open, prompting me to open my eyes and groggily turn my head to see my Mum, Mariah, entering to check in. She was a really lovely woman in her late thirties who looked pleasant in her work uniform; a blue long sleeved collared shirt with darker jeans and a pair of black boots. The resemblance between us was also uncanny, so much that we had been mistaken for sisters a couple of times before! Not that either of us are complaining...

"Hi Lib," She greeted pleasantly, possibly feeling just as tired as I was. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you,"

"Don't worry, it's fine," I reassured her groggily, rubbing sleepy dust out of my eyes. "Besides, let's blame it on my door being squeaky,"

"Still half out of it?" Mum chuckled, grinning.

I flashed two thumbs up with a forced grin and allowed my eyes to widen for comedic effect, earning a sympathetic yet amused smile before my mother continued with "So am I. Anyway, it's the same as usual and come on through when you're ready,"

"Okay, no problem," I replied happily, pulling myself out of my double-bed whilst Mum left me to it.

My bedroom's walls were painted in a light-blue colour and draped in posters from my favourite video game franchises, accompanied by numerous pictures from my life. I also had a small white bookshelf and a set of drawers sitting on the left side of my room with a black television and PlayStation 4 set, a few meters away from my radiator which was placed underneath my window on the right. Dark-blue fabric coated the floor whilst a ray of lights streaming up from my bed and accompanying my Polaroid photo collection on a rack pinned on the wall ahead of it, somehow making the entire room appear as an inviting location.

The first thing I did after climbing out of my bed was grab my blue hairbrush and quickly run it through my hair, checking to see if there were any knots present. Thankfully there weren't, which lead to me tying it back in a ponytail with bangs framing my face. I then stripped out of my grey Sonic t-shirt and coloured bottoms into an outfit which consisted of a green long-sleeved butterfly shirt, grey plaid hoodie, blue jeans and a pair of black winter combat boots with my favourite blue Sonic socks underneath. After slipping on a brown watch on my right wrist and my treasured blue lapis ring on my right ring finger, I took my blue Huawei P20 phone (which made itself at home in a lighter butterfly case) and white headphones from the set of drawers, placing them inside my blue rucksack which had a adorable classic Sonic key ring attached. Upon zipping it up, I grabbed it by one of the straps and exited to turn a right into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

I felt a mixture of emotions about this week, mainly anxiety. Why? Because I unfortunately had to spend five days at college, which is pretty much the best setting for teenage drama. _Ugh, as if secondary school wasn't bl**dy enough! _People would often think of me as anti-social because of my autism, but the truth was that I was shy. _Painfully_ shy, might I add. I told myself many times to be more outgoing and I would try to approach a stranger and strike up a pleasant conversation. But due to the mistreatment I endured throughout my life, it wouldn't work as I was often teased for being "weird" and "uncool".

_One day it will though, I'm sure of it._

After finishing the essentials, I exited the bathroom to find myself taking a quick right into the living room, allowing the sounds of a television programme to greet my ears. The location in question again had a much wider space filled with a dark brown sofa and chair which sat a mere distance away from each other. A light brown table sat in front of the couch with the large window encased by green curtains revealing an amazing view of the heavy snowfall outside. _Man, I'd love to bask in that right now! _The walls and ceiling were painted in a bright white, whilst the latter fan and floor were painted in a darkish grey. The kitchen on the right side of the living room looked a little different as its' walls were draped in bright white tiles and the wooden floor was a lighter grey. The counters were painted in a darker shade whilst the wooden shelves and drawers shared the same colour as the former.

"Look at you, all pretty today!" Mum complimented cheerfully, once I placed my bag by my chair and sat down.

"Thank you," I giggled. "I... I take it Dad's still sleeping?" _Considering he's got the day off. Lucky._

"Yep," My mother sighed, playfully rolling her eyes with mild annoyance before a concerned look painted her face. "How are you feeling about today though, considering you're going to be at college?"

"I'm..." I began, finding myself trailing off for two seconds as I struggled to calm my nerves. "I'm nervous because there's the students I had to deal with. I know we've talked to the tutors before and that they've told them to stop harassing me, but ... they just wouldn't!"

Mum's glance quickly changed into a reassuring one. "Right, you just focus on getting through today, talk to a tutor again if things go too far as well, and you'll be home before you know it," My mother's smile then morphed back into concern. "Talk to someone if you start to... feel _that _urge again too, okay?"

_Yeaah, about that. Because of the bullying ... I've developed a case of self-loathing which... I took out on myself. Another thing I need to work on with my anxiety._

"Okay - I'll keep that in mind, don't worry," I reassured her, forcing a brave grin on my face.

"Another thing you could try is say Hello to them very brightly and see if that throws them off?" Mum suggested. "I've done that whenever people tried to bully me and there was quite a few moments where they got scared,"

"Really?"

"Yep," My mother answered happily. "You already know that I can be vicious if I need to,"

Hearing this, I couldn't help but giggle again. "It gets awesome every time I hear about that, I'm not going to lie!"

We both continued on socialising whilst watching television and helping ourselves to breakfast after sorting out money to buy lunches with. Almost two hours later, it was time for me to go. After I washed up, I switched the TV off and upon checking to see if my purse, key and college essentials were inside, I slung my arms through my rucksack's straps. After Mum and I got ourselves wrapped up warm, we exited our apartment. Our room was located on the third floor of the complex we lived in, so there were only three flights of stairs to descend which was a little tough occasionally if we were tired out after a long day. But once Mum and I walked into the freezing but pleasant snowy weather, my spirits mildly soared back up as I prepared myself for the events which were about to occur.

_Okay, shortly I'll be thrown into the hell that is college once more. Here's hoping that today will be great..._


	2. Chapter 2: Life at College

**Chapter 2: Life at College**

_I've always loved the snow._

In England, a giant pack of it would usually be present from December to March and Turkey was no exception. Unfortunately however, it would mostly rain during the winter so whenever snow came along, I always _jumped_ at the chance to bask in it as much as I could! _Yep, I know that sounds silly. Feel free to laugh_. The snow also made our thriving hometown look beautiful - especially when it's either dawn or dusk, because of the lovely colours which suited the rich architecture perfectly; urban shops, town square, museum, you name it!

_Bonus points go to the photo opportunities that come up._

"Bye Libby, hope you have a good day today!"

"You too, Mum!"

I waved at my mother as she travelled to the Harran City Council for work. The journey was just like any other; the two of us chatting away during our walk into Town Square and quickly stopping in one of the urban stores so Mum could buy her lunch. This time, we were both keeping an eager eye out for a friend, whom we knew was in our neck of the woods for the week. Would you believe me if I told you that my parents and I were lucky enough to meet a singer/songwriter named Henry Phillips, three times? Because we sure did! I... I remember being a bl**dy nervous wreck when we first met him outside Bournemouth's O2 Academy in 2012 - but then again, I was merely 12 years old at the time and it would have been understandable to feel a tad frightened in that scenario.

_But thankfully, I got more brave later on that year and in 2014!_

Shaking the thoughts away, I walked up to the front entrance and pressed the button which made the large glass doors slide open. As most colleges are, Harran's one was _massive_. There were wide open spaces such as the canteen and library, along small and medium sized spaces which happen to be the classrooms in one huge white building with five floors. Bonus points go to the sports area outside for our team, the Harran Lions. _They're basically the stereotypical cute basket ball players who the girls fawn over... Pfft. _The already packed reception had a very large space with the walls painted in white and the floor's tiles painted in a silver-grey colour. On my left, there was a long hallway with its' right side crowded with blue lockers and travelling down to the very end and turning left whilst on my right, there was a small area filled with two grey sofas and a white table. There was also a grey staircase travelling up to the second floor and behind it, was a pathway leading down to the toilets and elevator.

A few metres away from me was another sofa-filled area and a large white desk, filled with notebooks and leaflets about the school. After collecting my class' register from a light-grey set of shelves near the desk, I walked through the hallway (whilst attempting to avoid the other students) and just before I reached my locker at the end, I decided to sneak a quick glance through the glass windows on my left at the city outside. The sounds of cars driving past vaguely greeted my ears, influencing me to ponder on how my near eighteen years of existence went.

Every day at school went like this; I travel there, collect the register, go to my classroom, try my best to get through the day whilst enduring mistreatment from my peers and head home at 4:30. The latter was the _only_ part I looked forward to as my home was a sanctuary, somewhere I could feel safe and happy. My parents would be there and the Sonic characters would be there in their video games. We could all just be happy without having to deal with horrible aspects, such as jobs or paying taxes for example...

_I know this may sound weird, but ... that's how I feel._

It was a bit of a long journey to my classroom, which occasionally got on my nerves due to the number of stairs I had to ascend. But sometimes it's nice to explore our surroundings. After passing the main hall which had two white doors serving as its' entrance, I walked past a cafe and was faced with two paths branching left and right. Venturing towards the path on the right, I walked down yet another long hallway. _This place sure does love long staircases and hallways... _But on the bright side, my journey was also a chance for me to dive into my thoughts. One of them involved what it would be like to see Team Sonic in person. I mean, a set of characters from a video game franchise living among us and travelling over the world during their adventures, which we get to see in their games. How cool would that be?! I couldn't help but smile as I imagined myself actually communicating with them; they would understand my condition and we would all just hang out. But unfortunately, that would never happen.

_Well hey, we can always dream right?_

As I approached the end of the hallway, I turned left and began ascending the long staircase, knowing that my classroom was all the way up on the fifth floor. _This is gonna be all kinds of fun... _I eventually reached the fifth floor and I was shortly joined by three students whom I politely held the door open for. Two of them seemed to be absorbed in their conversation but one of them, a fiery redhead with blue eyes who was clad in a winter get-up similar to mine (except for a green hooded coat, darker jeans and boots), gave me a small smile as she and her mates walked past. _Oh..._

"Thanks," The girl said politely, sending an apologetic look in my direction when her two mates didn't respond.

"You're welcome," I replied with a quick reassuring glance as I followed them into the hallway leading to our class.

_I... I can't say I was expecting that...!_

…

_A child with autism is not ignoring you. They are simply waiting for you to enter their world._

That's one example of my favourite quotes which I found online, because it describes the other children out there who have autism and myself perfectly. We may be different, but what we have is one of many things that makes us who we are and we should be seen for us. If people could do that instead of tossing us to one side, then...

_Life would be a million times better, it really would._

My first lesson on today's list happened to be Communications Class with Miss Anderson. She's one of the many tutors who treat me kindly and whilst she does have the tendency to be a tad _too _tough (which I admire - because _yes, Queen!_), she's a really nice woman with a sense of humour. The classroom was just like any other with your typical chairs, desks, white board and colorful images plastered over the walls - but the one pro was this stack of brown bags which stood near our tutor's desk. These were compliment bags and a student would write something on a piece of paper to place in another student's bag for them to see.

_The possibility of getting one would make my day._

As I followed the group of girls into a very chatty classroom, I made a quick detour towards Miss Anderson's desk and placed the register down, before walking back to my desk at the very back and taking my rucksack off. Once I set it at my feet and sat down, I pulled off my hoodie and scarf, laid them behind me on my chair and opened my rucksack to place my Sonic pencil case, journal, headphones and phone on my desk. _At least we've got some time to kill. I may as well vent in my journal for a bit. _With that in mind, I opened up my journal for the next clean page and began writing.

"Hi everyone," A brown-haired and blue eyed woman in her early thirties, clad in her blue tomboyish fall get-up, soon entered the room with a grin and ventured to sit at her desk. _Miss Anderson! _"How are you all doing?"

"We're doing well, thank you," I replied happily as I closed my journal. "How was—"

"How was your weekend?" A girl intentionally interrupted, quickly sending a smug grin in my direction before she turned her back on me.

I sighed with annoyance. Just like any college, we have the batch of stereotypical Mean Girls who fawn over the boys and date them. This girl in particular was no exception and she was pretty much the Queen of our school. If you put the two of us together, there would be major contrasts appearance-wise, because she was _way more _beautiful than I'd ever be. Her blue eyes were more brighter than my green ones and her oval face was clear unlike my combination of spots, moles and freckles. The final contrast involved her blond hair remaining perfect unlike my messy dark hair. The girl's outfit, which involved the girly cashmere, also contributed to how approachable she seemed.

"_Eleanor,_" Miss Anderson warned. "Libby was kindly asking me a question. Please don't interrupt,"

Hearing this, Eleanor scoffed hatefully. "Why should I have to treat that freak with the disease nicely?!"

The rest of the class, except for the redheaded girl and a black haired and green-eyed Turkish boy, exclaimed a shocked and intrigued: "_Oooooh!_" whilst I glowered at them. That visibly _stung_ … but there comes a time where you become used to being hurt. _So, go on ahead kids. You're all doing a great job with making me feel horrible, why stop now?!_

"Leave her alone, okay?" The redheaded girl suddenly came to my defense. "She hasn't done _anything_ to you!"

"Yeah, you don't get to bully her just because she's more prettier than you!" The Turkish boy chimed in, angrily.

I was left in complete and utter shock, whilst my assailant was silently fuming. This was another thing I didn't expect, because it was _very rare_ for one of my non-familiar peers to treat me kindly - let alone two of them standing up for me! They didn't have to do so, but they _did_ and... that pretty much beat getting a compliment in the bags because like Martin Kornfield said:

_If we all do one random act of kindness daily, we might set the world in the right direction._

"Thank you, Melanie and Rahim," Our tutor said to them, glancing at me with concern before she addressed my bully fiercely. "Am I going to have to suspend you, Eleanor?"

"I'm sorry, did you _just threaten me?!_" My bully glowered. _She knows she's gonna get it, doesn't she? _"I'm one of the _top_ athletes at this f*cking college, I'm a _million times better_ than Melanie!" _Oh for god's sake!_

"I don't know," Miss Anderson snarkily shot back with a glare. "_Maybe _I did," And cue the professional smile. "Or maybe I didn't,"

_Oooooooh!_

Our tutor's remark shut everyone up, and she addressed me again. "You were asking me a question, Libby?"

"Y-Yes," I stammered shyly. "I was going to ask how your weekend went,"

"It went well, thank you," The woman answered with a smile. "Yourselves?"

Melanie, Rahim and I both responded in the affirmative and our tutor acknowledged us positively, before she began the first lesson of the day.

_That was one hell of a start. Whew!_


	3. Chapter 3: Communications Class

**Chapter 3: Communications Class**

"Alright," Miss Anderson began brightly. "Now that we've gotten our _welcoming_ party out of the way, let's get started. As you all may know, the Harran Athletic Games will be taking place at the Stadium on Friday and this week, you'll be doing research because two of you have been selected as athletes and three places are up for grabs if some of you are interested in filming,"

_Sweet!_

Our tutor then pulled a list from her desk and a faint yet noticeable grimace painted her face when she began reading. "Those athletes in question are Eleanor Williams," Cue said bully to smugly grin and Rahim to angrily yell out "_Boo!_", earning a snicker from the other students and a smirk from me. _Atta dudes. _"And Melanie Wyatt," Miss Anderson continued happily. "Congratulations to you both,"

Melanie looked absolutely _shocked_ and it took me whooping with applause for her to hear Rahim and some of our other classmates following suit and _sheer_ joy to paint her face. "_Thank you!_" She gushed, beaming happily. _Awww!_

I offered her a shy yet pleased smile, as our tutor continued addressing all of us. "You can work together in pairs or small groups and break will be at 11:00. I'll also be at my desk if any of you need help,"

With that, the woman walked to sit behind her desk whilst chatter instantly began filling the room. _Well, that's my cue to bail. _Why, you ask? Because loud noises often affect my hearing negatively _(Long story, short - I'm deaf in my right ear, hence why I wear a blue hearing aid_) and I was thankful my tutor allowed me to work in a much quieter place, which was the library downstairs. As I placed my gadgets and scarf into my bag, I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned to see Melanie - much to my surprise and confusion.

"Yes?" I asked, frowning as I zipped up my backpack and slid it on. _What is she after?_

"Hi," The redhead greeted in a friendly manner. "I was wondering if you'd like to work with me on this?"

_What?!_

Despite my visible shock, I awkwardly stammered "_O-Okay_, sure,"

"Great!" Melanie cheered happily. "Just let me get my stuff and I'll be with you,"

Hearing this, I nodded before I tied my hoodie around my waist and dashed out of the classroom whilst she went to grab her bag from her desk. You'd probably laugh at my dumbfounded self standing outside the hallway and I honestly wouldn't blame you for doing so - but as I mentioned before, these moments were _very rare_ for me. It didn't take long for my classmate to step out and flash me a friendly grin, prompting a shy one to paint my face as I politely held the door open for her again.

"Thank you,"

"That's okay," I responded, before the two of us began descending the staircase.

"So, where are you planning to go?" The girl asked me curiously.

"The library," I answered, hiding my slowly growing anxiety. _Why is Melanie bothering to make an effort to talk to me? I mean, I appreciate her coming to my defense just now, but still... _"I always head there for some peace and quiet,"

"Nice," Melanie commented in a cheerful manner, before worriedly asking "I hope I'm not intruding?"

"No, no, you're not," I reassured the redhead kindly, earning another friendly smile. _She seems to be okay so far, Libby. Maybe there's nothing to be worried about?_

After this, the two of us reached the first floor and walked down the hallway I used earlier, shortly turning a right into the library. It had a wide space with grey walls accompanied by multiple framed pictures and a dark blue carpet. White long shelves packed with books stood proudly on the right corner next to a large window, whilst blue chairs accompanying white tables with black computers sat atop were spread out in one long row on the left side of the room and broken apart into a smaller group of four on the right side, in front of the library books. To finish things up, a desk similar to the one in reception separated both sides and some of the computers were occupied by chatty students.

_Alright, this isn't so bad. You're all good._

Once Melanie and I checked in, we decided to occupy two spare computers next to each other on the left. _Just be cool, Libby. Like Mum said - just get through today and you'll be home before you know it._

"Is that the Uzun Mountains?" The girl asked me curiously after I logged into my college account.

"Y-Yeah, yeah," I nervously stammered. "I... I just thought I'd make my wallpaper look peaceful,"

"There's no harm in that," Melanie told me happily, somehow sensing my anxiety. "This is just me gushing, but I've _always_ wanted to go to the countryside. It's just something about the little seaside town and the lighthouse which makes it so exciting!"

Hearing this, I smiled shyly. "I get that. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to get out of the city,"

"You've never been?" The redhead questioned with surprise.

"Nope,"

"I see," My classmate replied in understanding. "Well - if you do get the chance to go, I'd be a bit careful because a friend of mine told me that a religious cult is hiding out there,"

I couldn't help but send her a confused frown. "Seriously?"

_Since bl**dy when?!_

"Yep," Melanie answered bluntly. "My friend, her name's Lucy and she's from England like you, she went there last Summer and judging from what she's witnessed, the cult is just... f*cking insane,"

"H-How so?" I asked curiously. _Interesting yet weird stuff, I'm hearing!_

"I don't really remember much," My classmate revealed sadly, before going on to explain "But the cult does rituals, their clothes are ridiculous and they paint weird symbols everywhere they go," Cue an amused scoff. "It could be some kind of _marking our territory _bullsh*t, but who knows?"

"I get your point," I chuckled.

Melanie giggled in response, before a concerned glance painted her face. "You don't talk very much - do you, Libby?"

"Is that a bad thing?" I questioned worriedly. _Oh b*gger, I'm dead!_

"_No, _no, it's not," My classmate reassured me, reaching out to place a gentle hand on my shoulder - much to my shock. "It's just a friendly observation,"

Hearing this, I allowed myself to calm down. "Okay," Cue a saddened "I think it's because I'm not very good at making friends, anyway,"

"You're doing great so far," Melanie commented cheerfully with a broad grin. _Huh?! _"And I'm willing to admit, you're kinda adorable when you're shy. I think we're gonna get along well,"

The redhead was completely _oblivious _to my near-emotional state and I was glad that she didn't, because I didn't want to accidentally humiliate myself in front of her. _Anxiety issues, don't ask. _But looking back nowadays, I... I couldn't explain how _overjoyed_ I felt over the knowledge that someone was willing to make an effort to look past my special needs and see me for me.

"T-Thank you, Melanie," I stammered softly, quickly wiping my eyes.

_I think I might have just found a friend...!_


	4. Chapter 4: Bonding

**Chapter 4: Bonding**

"So," Melanie questioned as she started typing away on her college account. "Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"O-Okay, what would you like to know?" I responded shyly, following suit via accessing Google and beginning my research with the Olympics. _Good enough place to start._

"_Anything!_" My new friend exclaimed, earning an amused grin from me. "What are your favourite video games, movies, anything,"

"Alright, well," I began revealing. "For starters, I guess you can already tell that I'm a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog," Cue a giggle from Melanie. "And my first game was Sonic Unleashed,"

"That sounds interesting," The redhead commented cheerfully. "How far have you gotten?"

"Mazuri at Night," I answered bluntly with a tad annoyance. "I haven't managed to reach Professor Pickle yet because I just keep dying. I mean for god's sake, it's like the first boss battle in Sonic 06, Dusty Desert! I ended up rage quiting that bl**dy game, because of that!"

"Oh no!" Melanie murmured sympathetically. "I know how you feel too, because I nearly quit Sonic 06 myself," An annoyed sigh. "That game _really _could have used some improvement,"

"Yeah, you're telling me," I agreed. _At least some aspects of it were decent, though!_

"Do you have any other favourite video games?"

Hearing this, I smirked. "_Easy. _Grand Theft Auto V,"

"_No!_" Melanie gawked with a huge smile.

"Yep,"

"That's awesome!" The girl cheered. "How far have you gotten with that?"

"Sadly, nowhere," I answered, forcing a grin on my face. "I have to wait four months before I'm allowed to play it,"

"Oh right, because of the rating," My friend replied in understanding. "Gotcha,"

"But I've watched my Dad play it," I continued happily. "And it's pretty easy to say that my favourite out of the three protagonists is Trevor - though Michael and Franklin are awesome too,"

"Do I smell a liking for the guy?" Melanie smirked teasingly.

Hearing this, I couldn't help but glower in shock. "_No!_"

The redhead burst out laughing. "_Relax, _Libby! I'm just teasing you,"

I shook my head with an amused sigh. "You're bl**dy evil, you know that?"

"I _sure do!_" Melanie cheekily shot back, earning a stifled chuckle from me and prompting her to giggle. "Anyway, do you have any more favourite hobbies - besides playing video games, that is?"

"I enjoy writing," I answered shyly. "H-How about you, Melanie? I know you're an athlete now,"

"I enjoy horse riding, and I believe that's what I'll be doing at the Games this week," My friend began. "I used to live in Texas before my family and I moved here six years ago and I always felt at peace whenever I went to Benbrook Stables,"

"Change of scenery?" I asked in understanding. _Know the feeling, there._

Melanie hummed in agreement. "It's like you said, sometimes it's nice to get out of the city for a bit,"

"Yeah," I replied happily.

She then changed the subject with "So, you enjoy writing?"

"I do, yes,"

"What type of things do you write?"

I nervously gulped. "I... I-I've only written one poem,"

"That sounds interesting," Melanie complimented kindly. "Would you be willing to let me have a look? I'd love to hear it!"

"A-Are you sure?" I asked worriedly. "I mean, you probably wouldn't like it because it's quite dark,"

"Of course, I'm sure," The redhead reassured me. "And I won't make fun of you in any way, alright? You have my word,"

_You're going to be fine, everything's cool..._

"Okay," I responded, feeling slightly at ease as I went to pull my journal out of my rucksack. "Just let me get my journal out,"

"That's fine," Melanie calmed me. "Whenever you're ready,"

Hearing this, I flashed an appreciative smile before I zipped my rucksack back up and scrolled through the pages of my journal for my poem. _You can do this Libby, you can do this. _Once I found it, I took a deep breath before I began reading: "Today, I am wearing a lapis ring. It's a little jewel meant to help people who deal with anxiety and I am pleased to say that it's helped me. It's one of the few aspects of life that make me happy,"

_Cue an understanding yet pleased smile from my friend._

"But _none_ of you care about that, do you?" I changed the subject bitterly. "You just care for trying to make me feel like the grey ugly duckling in a sea full of lovely white ducks,"

"I look at the other girls here and I see that they're fun and carefree. Not only that, but their melodies are always heard," Melanie's smile had faded by this point and she was glancing at me with a concerned and sympathetic look. "I'm the opposite; I'm _nowhere near_ as beautiful as them and my melody is almost locked up,"

"What if my melodies and those belonging to others like me are the ones that nobody bothers to hear?" I asked sadly, unaware of a tad pain throbbing within me. "Autism _isn't_ a disease. It's just something that makes the world a little different. I want to see it as a gift, but it's hard to do so because of the way I've been bullied. Every day, I keep finding more and more stones tied to my feet and no matter how hard I try to untie them, they leave me in agonising pain,"

The throbbing pain I was now aware had turned into a case of _boiling_ anger, which I managed to avoid letting loose. I had quite a lot of questions which I wanted to ask the people who bullied me; how could they do so, without considering how I'd feel? More importantly, _why_ are they doing this when I didn't do anything to provoke them? The latter is what I mostly wanted to know - but then again, we don't always get to hear the other side of the story, don't we?

"How many circles do you expect me to keep walking in, until I lose hope?" I questioned, aware that my breathing was now glitching painfully - which prompted me to swallow nervously before I went at it again. "How many circles do you expect those other kids to walk in too? How long do you expect _all_ of us to endure?"

"_I need the pain to stop,_" I finished after an anxious gulp. _Don't you bl**dy break down, Lib. _One deep breath later and I closed my journal. "Well, there you go. That's my lousy poem,"

"Libby, _listen_," Melanie started, grabbing my hand which surprised me. "Your poem isn't lousy at all, it's beautiful. I appreciate that you were brave enough to share with me,"

"T-Thank you," I stammered, feeling much calmer now that I got it off my chest. _That wasn't so bad, was it?_

"You're welcome," The redhead replied, smiling. A couple of seconds later, and an intrigued frown painted her face. "Do you want to know what I think you could try?"

"Go on," I encouraged. _What are you thinking there, Mel?_

"You could publish this,"

"_What?!_"

"Hear me out," Melanie told me kindly. "Someone could be going through the same exact sh*t you are and if they see your poem, they could realise that they're not alone,"

"Fair point," I responded in agreement. _Maybe I should give it a go?_

"Also, that person might reach out to you," My friend continued. "And if he or she sticks around, all three of us can band together. What do you think about that?"

Hearing this, I swallowed back my anxiety. _This could be a good deed for the day, you know? Maybe you could help someone else, like Melanie said? _"Okay, I'm in - let's do it,"

"Are you sure you're up for it, though?" Melanie asked with concern. "You don't have to do it, if you don't want to,"

"Y-Yeah, I'm sure," I answered bravely, shrugging sheepishly. "I just hope that it will turn out well, that's all,"

"Don't worry about it," The redhead reassured me, "Plus if you get any trolls, ignore them - okay?"

Hearing this, I gave her a thumbs up before I opened up another tab and logged into my Facebook account. _Why not start there and see where this goes? _After I opened my journal, I found my poem and began to type it out in my new post - whilst a friend request from Melanie popped into my notifications, which prompted me to grin before accepting it and getting back to typing.

_Please let this work out..._


	5. Chapter 5: Rahim

**Chapter 5: Rahim**

_**(Three Hours Later - 12:00am...)**_

After I made the brave decision to post my poem on Facebook, I think the rest of the morning went... quite well, relatively speaking. Melanie and I made conversation about our favourite films whilst we were working and I was quite surprised to learn that she was a Marvel fan like me. Then again, she was keen on the Avengers - _mainly_ because of how adorable she thought Peter Parker/Spiderman was in Captain America: Civil War. _Ugh... _Whilst I too had developed an interest in the Avengers, I was more of a Guardians of the Galaxy fan. Everything about that gang of heroes; their personalities, dynamics and adventures are awesome and dare I say it, I was quite fond of Peter Quill/Starlord. He may have been a bit of a doughnut in Vol. 1 but on the plus side, he had some great comedic timing!

_Not to mention, his clearly obvious crush on Gamora. I swear if they don't get together in Vol. 2 or any instalments after that, I will riot._

"Can this queue please move any faster?" I heard Melanie growl behind me.

It was now lunch and as per bl**dy usual, the cafeteria was _packed _with noisy students. The area had a decently wide space with a purple wall and a white marbel floor; the right side accompanied by a green carpet and a set of metal tables and chairs. The left side of the café was home to a wooden set of the former, whilst the checkout contained a tiny shelf with multiple sweets to buy and behind it stood all of the equipment needed for the two staff members to make hot drinks. A tall makeshift oven housing cooked meals was placed next to it and the next three spaces belonged to a shelf containing snacks and two fridges belonging to sandwiches and cold drinks.

"Yeah, some people are getting hungry," I agreed, just as my stomach growled angrily. "Case in point,"

My friend laughed. "What are you planning to get, then?"

"I'm having pepperoni pizza," I giggled as the queue slowly moved forward, allowing me to open the fridge and pull out a bottle of coke. "That keeps me going for a good bit,"

"Nice," Melanie replied with a grin, pulling out a bottle of tango. "Can't say I blame you,"

Hearing this, I stifled a chuckle. "How about you?"

"I'm going to have a bacon burger today," The redhead answered happily.

"Awesome," I commented in a positive manner. "I think to be honest, I'd kill to have what you're having,"

"Well, why don't you buy one?" Melanie happily suggested. "I wouldn't mind having the same lunch as you,"

I smiled. "Cool! How about later on in the week?"

"Okay," My friend responded, grinning. "I look forward to it,"

_Sweet!_

The queue continued progressing and eventually, the two of us were able to buy our cooked lunches. _Bl**dy finally! _Once I paid, I took my drink and pizza to one side in order to wait for my friend and it didn't take her very long to pay up as well, accompanying me to find a place to sit afterwards.

"Alright, let's tuck in," Melanie said happily, starting to eat her burger after we decided to sit at one of the metal tables.

I stifled a laugh before I followed suit by pulling the pepperoni slices of my pizza and biting into them. _Man, I feel so much better already!_

"Why do you do that?" My friend suddenly asked curiously, after she swallowed a bite of her burger.

"Do what?"

"Eat the pepperoni slices first,"

"_Oh,_" I began, now understanding what the girl was referring to. "I... I don't know, it's always been like that,"

"Well, I think it's cool," Melanie complimented kindly as she undid the lid on her tango and took a swig.

"Thank you," I replied shyly, finishing the slices before digging into my pizza.

"That's alright," The redhead giggled before taking another bite of her lunch, whilst I took a swig of my coke after opening it.

We then spent the next couple of minutes eating our meals whilst making occasional conversation and looking back, I think I was subconsciously reaching the point where I thought _none_ of my non-familiar peers would be willing to see me for me - but then, along came my friend and... I was now starting to think: _maybe, things will get better from now on?_

_And they sure did._

"Libby?" Melanie suddenly got my attention.

"Yeah?"

"I think we have a stalker," She revealed in a concerned manner, sneaking glances at the cafe's entrance behind me - whilst hiding a teasing grin.

"_What?!_" I glowered worriedly. _No, no, nonono!_

"_Relax_, we know him," The redhead reassured me, prompting me to follow her glance and spot a familiar Turkish boy sitting alone, having quickly averted his gaze. His piercing green eyes emitted anxiety and his black spiky hair provided a hint that he was one of those rock-fanatic dudes. Not only that, but his combined black jacket and grey hoodie, along with his darker t-shirt, blue jeans, black winter boots and dark-green backpack helped a lot with the former.

"I think Rahim's checking you out," Melanie teased playfully with a smirk.

Hearing this, I scoffed. "That's impossible,"

"Seriously?" My friend asked me, smiling. "I mean, the pair of you are cute,"

"First of all, thank you for the compliment," I began, sneaking a quick glance at our classmate. "And secondly, he doesn't look like he has any friends, I hate to say. That's quite sad,"

_Maybe we should do something about it? Doesn't hurt to do a good deed every now and then, does it?_

The redhead appeared to agree. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yep," I responded, smiling.

With that, the two of us grabbed our lunches and drinks before leaving our table to invite ourselves over to Rahim's. We probably must have startled him when we sat down, because the poor dude was staring at us with shock. "I... What''s up, ladies?"

"Hello to you too," Melanie greeted in a friendly manner. "We just thought we'd pop by and ask you which one of us you were checking out,"

"I-I wasn'—" The boy stammered with fright, just as I flashed my friend a surprised look. _Woah, straight to the point. Okay._

"Don't pull the innocent card," She interrupted firmly.

"I think what my friend is trying to say," I stepped in gently. "Is that we noticed that you're on your own and we'd like to ask if you'd be willing to let us sit with you,"

The look on Rahim's face was one of shock and growing happiness. "Thanks. I'll let you guys sit at my table once you answer this question,"

"We're your girls, lay it on us," Melanie shot back eagerly. _Bring it on, mate._

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how annoying are your siblings - that's if you have any?" The boy asked, smirking. "Because it's an 8 for one of my sisters,"

"Second that," My friend replied in understanding. "It's a 5 for my little brother, Paul. What's your sister's name?"

"Jade," Rahim answered bitterly. "We're the younger two, whist Metin and Azra are older,"

"I see," Melanie said, slowly nodding. "Can I ask why you think Jade is annoying?"

"She's a famous kickboxer for starters, she's won lots of medals, you name it," Our classmate revealed sadly. "And on top of that, she lets her fans make a fuss over me instead of telling them to back off and see me for the _real_ me,"

"That's a bit harsh," I commented, feeling bad for the poor guy.

"_Right?_" Rahim agreed, shortly adding more happily "Though, she does have moments where she's awesome," _Glad to hear that, at least. _"Do you have siblings?"

Hearing this, I bl**dy froze. Why? Because on one hand, I wanted to tell Melanie and Rahim about my siblings, but the other was pestering me with nervous thoughts such as _what if they laugh at you or what if they don't believe you?! _I'm being silly, I know. Feel free to blame my anxiety for that. I also knew that I had to react quickly, because I didn't want my two classmates to start thinking of me as anti-social.

_Even though Melanie knows that I'm just shy._

"Yeah," I answered honestly and later sadly. "I have one brother and two sisters who I try to look out for from here, whilst they're frolicking through heaven,"

"Oh," The boy muttered with remorse. "_Sh*t_, I'm sorry - I shouldn't have asked,"

"We're so sorry for your loss," The redhead added sympathetically.

"It's okay," I reassured them. "I'm certain they're alright and they always will be,"

"What are their names?" Melanie asked with interest.

"My brother's called Adam and he'll be turning 14 this July," I answered kindly. "My two sisters are called Hannah and Reagan, they'll be turning 7 in eight months,"

Rahim grinned. "I swear, the two of you are _so_ lucky to be the eldest,"

Hearing this, the three of us all shared a laugh before the redhead complimented him with "Well - if it makes you feel any better, you're not so bad, Rahim,"

"Good thing we stopped by," I smiled shyly in agreement.

_Little did I know that he would turn out to be the best friend I ever had..._


	6. Chapter 6: Home, Sweet Home

**Author's Note:**

**Hi everyone, apologies for the long wait. :( I hope you all had an awesome Christmas & New Year and I also want to say a big Thank You for the support so far, it really means a lot. :)**

**Anyhow, feel free to send your thoughts in a review and I hope you all enjoy! :)**

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**Chapter 6: Home, Sweet Home**

**_(Room 303 in New Antalya Apartments - 16:52…)_**

_Well, it's safe to say that my curse of being an outsider was finally broken!_

I'm probably going to repeat myself here - but despite the threat of Eleanor looming over me, I couldn't describe how _grateful_ I was to know that I now had two awesome friends! After lunch, Mel and I decided to take Rahim under our wing by inviting him to join our research group for the Games and it was a tad surprising that he accepted without a moment's hesitation.

_Then again, that was probably my anxiety playing up for the thousandth time. Ugh…_

We then spent the afternoon in the library and we learned that our new pal was a fellow Marvel fan like us! He was also rather keen on the DCEU, which was awesome too, and that one of his favourite video games was GTA V. Cue him revealing that his favourite character is Franklin and me later complaining that I wasn't allowed to play the game myself just yet, to which both he and Mel responded by advising me to battle my impatience.

_I'm trying my best here, though it's really hard. If only these four months would go a bit faster, heh heh!_

It was now the end of the day and I had arrived home from college, feeling a lot happier than I usually would have. Why? Because Melanie, Rahim and I had decided to exchange phone numbers and add the former as our friend on Facebook. Bonus points also go to the three of us following each other on Twitter and Instagram, which surprisingly made the first day of the week even more awesome!

_Aaaah, I can't wait to tell Mum and Dad about it!_

"Hello?" I called out as I entered our apartment room and closed the door behind me, hanging my hoodie and scarf up.

"Hi sweetheart!" I heard Mum respond happily and my dad, James, following with an equally pleased "Hey, Lib!"

"How were your days today?" I asked, entering the living room and placing my rucksack next to my chair before sitting down. _Heellooo home, sweet home!_

"Mine was long and tedious, unfortunately," My mother answered calmly (who was still clad in her work uniform, whilst Dad's get-up was his usual shirt and jeans), forcing a smile on her face as she paused the television programme that was currently on.

"Oh, I know the feeling," I frowned, feeling bad for her. _Two words: secondary school._

"But I feel better, now that I'm home with my two favourite people!" Mum continued positively, earning a chuckle from Dad and a grin from me. _Aw!_

"How about you, Dad?" I asked happily.

"Mine was alright, in a manner of speaking," He answered. "I just got some work done from here, met up with your Mum for lunch and watched TV, nothing too great,"

"Oh, right, okay,"

"We also noticed that you posted your poem on Facebook, this morning," Mum added in a concerned manner. "Were you alright doing so? Because we know that's quite personal for you,"

"Yeah," I reassured her. "There's a bit of a story behind that, actually,"

"What happened?" My father questioned.

"Well," I began, smiling. "I'm just going to get straight to the point. After nearly eighteen long lonely years, the curse has _been broken!_"

_Cue me pumping my fists in the air with sheer excitement!_

Hearing this, Dad shot me a dumbfounded glance. "You've found a friend?!"

"That's amazing news!" Mum gushed happily. "Tell us everything!"

I giggled. "Okay. For starters, she's one of my classmates and she's been selected to compete in the Games,"

"Interesting," My father commented. "What's her name?"

"Melanie Wyatt," I answered pleasantly. "She used to live in Texas before she and her family moved here and from what I know, she's a fellow gamer and Marvel fan - though she's more interested in the Avengers, mainly because of Peter Parker. She likes horse-riding as well,"

"Is that what she'll be doing on Friday?" Mum questioned with intrigue.

"Most likely, yes,"

"I see," My mother responded. "Well, it's a good thing we've already got tickets - because I checked the website for my colleagues this afternoon and they're sold out already,"

"God, that sucks," I grimaced.

"At least the Games will be live, though," Dad reminded us positively.

"Okay, fair point, fair point," I chuckled, mentally scolding myself for forgetting. _Goddamnit college._ A curious yet hopeful frown then painted my face. "Speaking of, you guys didn't see Henry at all today, did you?"

Hearing this, Mum flashed a sad look. "No, we haven't, sorry,"

"No, it's fine - no need to apologise," I reassured her._ I had a feeling that was the case anyway, but I thought I'd ask._

"We have been keeping an eye out," She continued more positively. "And you already know that if we did see him, we'd be texting you: _Look who we ran into, Libby!_"

I chuckled amusedly. "I know, yep," Cue me changing the subject with "I was also going to say that the, um, the reason why I decided to post my poem on Facebook is because I shared it with Melanie this morning and she suggested that I do so, as it might help someone else,"

"Wow. Smart kid," Dad remarked, impressed.

"She is smart," I agreed, solemnly adding: "And… I just hope that my poem will be beneficial, somehow,"

"I'm sure it will be, Libby," Mum told me with a reassuring smile. "Did anything else happen at college?"

"Yeah," I answered, fondly remembering Melanie's and my first meeting with Rahim. "At lunch, Mel and I saw one of our classmates by himself - and we thought we'd do a good deed for the day and sit with him,"

"Oh, that's nice of you both," My mother complimented. "What's he like?"

"He's a bit shy like I am but overall, he's just as awesome as Melanie," I replied in a bubbly manner. "His name's Rahim, by the way,"

Hearing this, Mum shot me a surprised glance. "Rahim Aldemir?" _Huh?!_

"The one and only," I offered, despite feeling confused. "Do you guys know him?"

"We haven't actually met the kid," Dad chimed in. "But we work with two of his siblings, Metin and Azra,"

"Really?"

"Yeah, they're some of the _few_ decent colleagues and pals around the place,"

"Ah, what a coincidence!" I commented positively, slowly nodding with interest. A sad frown slowly painted my face, when I remembered what he told us about his other sister. "I'm assuming they've told you about... Jade?"

Mum nodded. "To some degree. Did Rahim talk to you and Melanie about her too?"

"Yep, he did," I informed my parents. "And... I'm thinking about maybe doing something nice for him sometime, you know? So, that he's aware that we see him for the _real_ him,"

_It doesn't hurt to make someone's day every now and then, does it?_


	7. Episode 2 - Chapter 7: Mysterious Attack

Anonymous Person: Hello, thank you for the review! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying Libby's story so far and if you're interested, feel free to have a peek at The Cured : Part I, which is a follow-up to Nightmare Row. Thank you again for the support! :)

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**Episode 2 - Chapter 7: Mysterious Attack**

_**(The Next Day - Tuesday, January 24, 2017 - 6:23am...)**_

The rest of the evening went like how it normally would; we have dinner, watch television and chat away - only this time, we were racking our brains on what I could do to show Rahim that we see the real him. I was also talking to Melanie about it on Messenger and she was on board in a matter of seconds, though the two of us ultimately decided to discuss things further at college.

_Which was fine. Kind of made sense too._

Tuesday came around and it was rince, repeat with Mum waking me up and leaving me to get myself ready. After I changed out of my PJS into an outfit which consisted of a green hooded coat, grey long-sleeved shirt, denim skinny jeans and my black boots, I decided to quickly check my phone for any possible updates - only to see two notifications on Facebook; one in Friend Requests and the other on Messenger. _Huh? … Okay, check the latter first._

I did so, and what I found was shocking!

**Hannah Baker.**

**Works at The Crestmont.**

**Studies at Liberty High School.**

**Lives in Crestmont, California.**

**23 JAN AT 23:00.**

**HANNAH: Hi, Libby. **

**You don't know me and I don't know you, but I found your poem on Facebook and I'd like to tell you that you're not alone. I'm very sorry to hear that you're struggling and I understand how you feel, because I'm being bullied myself. Nobody deserves to be in that situation, especially not a lovely girl like you and if you ever need to talk to me, I'm here. By the way, I hope it's alright that I sent you a friend request. *happy emoji***

**Hannah B.**

I couldn't describe how pleasantly surprised I was! From finding two friends to seeing these kind comments from someone I didn't know, that's that… that's _really_ something. I couldn't help but allow a shy yet moved smile to appear, upon realising that my poem did help and there was another person out there who was willing to make a genuine effort. Before I typed back, I decided to click on the girl's profile picture and get a closer glance at her. Hannah was _way more_ beautiful than I was and to my surprise, she was the _splitting image_ of Melanie - only with long brown hair and a more feminine attire. _Hm, she doesn't seem like the type of person who would stab you in the back. Let's see where this goes._

**24 JAN AT 6:23.**

**LIBBY: Hi, Hannah! Greetings from Harran!**

**Thank you so much. This really means a lot, and of course it's okay that you sent a friend request over. I'll accept it right away! *happy emoji* I'm very sorry to hear that you're getting bullied too *sad emoji* and if you ever need to vent, feel free to message me and I'll respond asap. I think you're a lovely girl as well. *happy emoji***

**Libby M.**

A knock at my bedroom door caught my attention and Mum peered in. "Hi, Libby - everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah," I said happily. "I was just replying to a really nice message I got from someone who lives all the way in California,"

"Cool," My mother smiled, feeling pleased. But a concerned frown shortly painted her face, as she continued: "Listen, something's just came up on the news regarding Harran and..." A nervous split second pause. "We don't want you to worry, as it could just be a minor event, we don't know - but it's on Pause, so you can listen as well,"

"Okay, thank you," I replied appreciatively, despite the visible confusion I felt. _What the hell's happening?_

Upon accepting Hannah's request on Facebook and grabbing my rucksack, I followed Mum into the living room where we found Dad, clad in his work suit (dark shirt, pants and shoes), sitting on the couch with his half-finished cereal placed on the table. Finally, the television was paused on the News Channel - as Mum had told me earlier - and looking back now, I should have known what we were about to get into when the bold words: **MYSTERIOUS ATTACKS IN HARRAN **caught my attention. _Oh b*gger..._

"James, Libby's here," My mother told him, glancing at me worriedly. "Shall we see what this is about?"

"Okay," Dad responded in an equally concerned manner, before he grabbed the remote and pressed Play. _Here goes..._

"_Police have reported a rise in unusual attacks last night. The victims were attacked in the City Center and whilst no one was badly injured, one victim was taken to hospital with suspected bite_ _marks,_"

"Bite marks?" I questioned with surprise, as the newswoman finished her report. "_The Police urge __all residents to take extra precaution,_"

Cue my father pressing Pause and the three of us were left with confusion. Why? Because the thought of a zombie apocalypse occurring in real life was incredibly hard to believe. _I mean, it usually happens in made-up stories, movies and TV shows, doesn't it? _Dad seemed to think so too, because he was the first to break the shocked silence via muttering: "That's just impossible,"

"And yet, the evidence was right there," Mum spoke calmly, secretly agreeing with my father and trying a firm yet more gentler approach. "Maybe, this whole thing will die down?"

Hearing this, Dad took a second to pull himself together. "Right, okay - sorry. It's just..."

"Unrealistic?" I offered.

"Thank you, Libby," _You're welcome._

"You don't have to apologise for that," My mother reassured him kindly. _Yeah, it's perfectly normal. _"I'm just saying that maybe this could be a one-time scenario. The police are already on it and we'll just need to be more careful whenever we head out,"

"Yeah, I get that," My father responded, feeling more at ease. He then added in a sceptical manner: "Though if I'm being honest, I'll be really bl**dy surprised if we actually _do_ get caught up in a walking dead scenario,"

"I think that makes all three of us," Mum agreed, turning to address me with concern. "Are you okay?"

"A bit dumbfounded, but yes," I answered shakily.

"Look, like I said earlier, try not to worry about the attacks," She replied in understanding. "You just let us deal with it and focus on your studies, alright? I know that's easier said than done,"

"Got it, Mum,"

_But, little did we all know..._


	8. Chapter 8: Anxiety

**Chapter 8: Anxiety**

**_(Two Hours Later - Harran University in Northern Old Town...)_**

I honestly didn't know how to process what I heard.

Before I dive into this, you already know that I have the tendency to repeat myself and I'm willing to admit it's something that I _still_ need to work on - so I won't blame you if you get annoyed by it. Trust me, I get ticked off with my habits too.

Anyhow..., it was safe to say that the two halves of my brain were pretty much hurling verbal insults at each other. One half was overwhelmed with anxiety over the possibility of a pandemic infection _actually_ happening in Harran and asking questions such as _You know, shouldn't you gather Melanie, Rahim and their families together and then, we can all bail to another country?! _A small part of me wishes that I had listened to that side, because... firstly, we would have been safe from the impending event but more importantly, history would have been altered massively. With that being said though, we wouldn't have met the people that we did.

_Or maybe we would have in different circumstances? I don't know..._

The half I ultimately did listen to was _rather_ insistent in telling me not to worry about the attacks and let the police take care of it, which is what everyone would normally do. Though as much as I hate to admit it, I don't think that stopped my anxiety from booting up. It's like, say you're installing an update for a video game on the Playstation 4 and you have to sit and _slowly_ watch the percentage number go from 0 to 100 - that describes the anxious half of my mind in spades. Yes, I know it sounds ridiculous, but...

_You know what? Let's move on._

"Hey! Libby!"

I had not long just entered campus after biding my parents farewell and begun walking down the hallway after grabbing my class' register box, when a familiar excited voice (followed by a pair of footsteps jogging in my direction) greeted my ears. _Oh, hello. _Pausing in my tracks, I turned round and grinned happily. "Hey, Rahim,"

"Thanks for stopping," My friend, who was clad in a dark grey coat, blue plaid shirt and grey t-shirt combined with his jeans and boots, chuckled amusedly.

"You're welcome," I giggled as we resumed walking side by side. "How are you doing, mate?"

"Not so bad," Rahim answered in a friendly manner, before cautiously adding: "Though my head's kind of buzzing from the news earlier. Did you hear about those bite marks?"

"Yeah, sure did,"

"What do you think about that?" The older boy asked.

Hearing this, I shrugged. "I... I don't know. I think it's probably going to take me a while to process it, to be honest,"

"Welcome to my world, Lib," Rahim commented in understanding. "I'm also having a hard time believing that this kind of scenario could actually happen,"

"Yeah," I agreed. "What do you think we should do if it does?"

"I'm still thinking about it," My friend responded. "You?"

"Same, and I _may_ have one idea,"

"Shoot,"

"We gather our families and we all bail to another country,"

Rahim grinned with intrigue, as the two of us neared the end of the hallway and walked up towards the cafeteria. "Not bad. Which countries were you thinking about?"

"It's a tie between England and the United States for me," I responded positively. "How about you?"

"I..." The older boy chuckled. "Funny story,"

"Yeah?" I asked curiously, arching an eyebrow. _Go on._

By this time, we had entered the slightly packed cafeteria and I briefly placed my backpack on a free table with the register box, so I could pull out my purse. Normally, I wouldn't have done so - but yesterday, I had learned from Melanie that our college served breakfast meals and I figured I'd try and test my skills in paying at the checkout further. I supposed there wouldn't be any harm in giving it a go and I knew that it also meant less washing up later on.

_Plus, I thought: you know - why not?_

"I'm actually heading out to Arizona, this Sunday," Rahim revealed excitedly, as he quickly pulled out his wallet from his bag and followed me into the queue.

"Oh, sweet!" I commented with interest. "Is it... is it just you or...?"

"My siblings are coming along, and we're gonna be gone for about... two weeks, I think,"

"I see," I replied, smiling. "Well, I hope you guys have fun over there,"

"Thanks," Rahim grinned appreciatively. "You know, I'd be happy to tell you about it - when we get back?"

"Okay, sure," I cheered. "That would be great,"

As the queue slowly proceeded and the two of us took the opportunity to pick our meals (bacon roll and can of coke for me; sausage roll and can of dr pepper for Rahim), I subconsciously allowed my anxiety over the bite marks to briefly take over yet again. _Fuuudge! _This time though, it was centred around the knowledge that Henry was in our neck of the woods with his family and... I don't know if this is going to sound creepy - I hope it doesn't - but since the last time we met in person, I started to consider him as a friend.

_I wonder what his and the family's thoughts are on this? And more importantly, how are they holding up?_

"You okay there?" Rahim somehow managed to sense how I felt.

"Y-Yeah," I briefly stammered, forcing a brave grin.

"Really?" He questioned with a confused frown. "You don't sound so sure,"

Hearing this, I sighed. "Okay, you got me. I'm just... I'm just wondering what a friend of mine is thinking about all this, you know,"

"The bite marks?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. "He's going to be performing at the Games and I just hope that if this turns out to be something serious, he and his family will be out of here safely,"

"I'm sure they will,"

_I think that was another case of little did we all know, however. Yeah, guess who Rahim and I find in four months?_

Eventually, the two of us were able to buy our breakfasts and once I paid, I took my canned drink and bacon roll to one side in order to wait for Rahim. It didn't take him very long to pay up as well and we ultimately decided to sit at the same table we occupied yesterday, placing our bags at our feet. _No sign of Melanie just yet. Maybe I should message her real quick?_

"Should we wait for Melanie?" My friend asked, as he opened his can.

"Yeah, I was just thinking that," I told him, fishing out my phone and heading onto Messenger to type. "Hold on one second,"

"Okay, that's fine," Rahim reassured me, earning a thumbs up in return.

**Libby, Melanie**

**You're friends on Facebook**

**Lives in Harran**

**24 JAN AT 8:28**

**LIBBY: Hi Mel! I was wondering if you're up for meeting me and Rahim, before we head up to class? We're in the cafeteria right now. *happy emoji***

After I finished typing and sent my message, I placed my phone next to the register box and opened my can of coke. "Okay, all done,"

"Cool,"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure," Rahim confirmed eagerly.

"I was wondering if you've ever had the opportunity to meet someone who you look up to?" I asked curiously.

Hearing this, the older boy grimaced. "Honestly, I wish I could say yes,"

"But you haven't?" I finished sadly, feeling bad for the poor dude. _Ouch._

"Yep," He sighed. "I have no idea what it would be like either, you know. I'd probably embarrass myself,"

"I'm sure you wouldn't," I reassured him kindly. "If you ever do meet one of your favourite people, the best way to handle that scenario is to imagine you're talking to a friend. I'm sure they'd understand that you're feeling nervous and to be fair, who wouldn't?" Cue a small yet amused smile from Rahim. "They probably might ask you some questions about you as well, like where do you come from or what are you interested in doing job-wise? Any of that,"

This prompted my friend to slowly nod with interest, whilst feeling more at ease. "Okay, that actually helps a bit - thanks, Libby,"

"It's no problem," I said in a bubbly manner, glad to have done another good deed.

Before I could continue, a familiar sound from my phone greeted my ears and I unlocked it to realise that it was a notification from Messenger. _Oh, hello!_

**24 JAN AT 8:29**

**MELANIE: Hey Lib! Sounds awesome! Would you and Rahim mind if I brought a friend of mine along? I mentioned her yesterday when I told you about that cult hiding out in the countryside. *happy emoji***

"Is that Melanie?" Rahim piped up hopefully.

"Yeah," I answered happily. "She's just asking if we'd be okay with her inviting a friend. I think her name's Lucy, something along those lines,"

"Oh, okay, sure,"

"So, you're alright with that?"

"I don't mind," The older boy responded kindly, humorously adding: "As long as I don't end up being the only dude, that is,"

Cue the two of us to share a laugh as I began typing back to Melanie. "I'm sure you'll be fine, Rahim,"

**LIBBY: Yeah, that's fine. *happy emoji***

**MELANIE: Great, see you guys shortly! *excited emoji***

**LIBBY: Looking forward to it! *excited emoji***

"Okay, they're on their way here," I announced to Rahim, heading out of Messenger and placing my phone back down on our table.

"Nice," My friend commented positively. "Quick question, are you going to be working in the library again?"

"Yeah, most likely," I answered. "I probably might work there all the time now, only to get away from..." A worried sigh. "Someone who we won't speak of, essentially,"

The older boy sensed who I was referencing. "I get that. I know this might be easier said than done, but if she ever comes after you again - just tell her to f*ck off and stop hurting you because she hates herself,"

"If only if it was _that_ simple," I murmured solemnly. _There's no bl**dy way I could stand up to her and win, absolutely no chance whatsoever...!_

"Why don't you give it a go, though?" Rahim suggested in understanding. "She might as well turn round and realise that she needs to stop,"_ Okay, true, true._

"M-Maybe you're right," I replied appreciatively, despite still feeling anxious over the thought of another verbal attack.

_Let's just... Let's just see what happens for now._


End file.
